1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air filter, and more particularly it relates to an air filter suitable for use on a vehicle and having a structure that can not only supply sufficient filtered air for an engine, but also an air filter that can extend a valid life of the air filter without deteriorating filtering function even though a vehicle runs on unpaved dusty roads.
2. Description of the Related Art
A vehicle is generally powered by an engine, and air must be supplied inside of the engine to burn fuel in order to operate this engine. However, only clean air is supposed to be supplied to an engine after screening through an air filter, as outside air contains a great deal of foreign matter including dust.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional air filter for a vehicle that includes an air filter assembly a, having a basic filter body b, a filter cap c, and a filter d. The basic filter body b is cylindrical in shape having a first end which is open. Typically, basic filter body b has an air flow opening b1 in a designated location, through which external air is flown, a filter assembly groove b2 which forms a groove along the periphery of a lower face of basic filter body b, and an air outlet b3 which is bored through a central part of the lower face and is linked to an intake manifold of an engine thereby supplying filtered air into the intake manifold.
Filter cap c is a circular plate which has a designated diameter and includes a filter assembly groove c1 which forms a groove along the periphery of a lower face of filter cap c. Filter cap c is assembled to the opened first end of basic filter body b so that it can be attached and detached. Filter d has cylindrical or tubular shape in which both ends are open. A first end of filter d is inserted and assembled with filter assembly groove b2 of the basic filter body b, and a second end is inserted and assembled with filter assembly groove c1 of the filter cap c. Filter d, inside of basic filter body b, is supposed to discharge clean air from air outlet b3 after filtering external air flown through air flow opening b1.
In a conventional air filter for a vehicle as described above with reference to FIG. 1, external air flown into a basic filter body through an air inflow opening is supplied to an intake manifold of an engine through an air outlet after flowing into an internal space of a filter, passing through the filter inside of the basic filter body. External air flown into the basic filter body is thereby filtered by a filter while passing through the filter, so foreign matter contained in the air is filtered by the filter to supply clean air only.
Since a filter in the conventional air filter for a vehicle is built-in, or fixed inside of a basic filter body, and filters air without any extra means of removing dust, there are problems with the conventional air filter including the reducing of the useful or valid life of the filter, as well as remarkably deteriorating air filter function as dust is accumulated along an exterior or external part of a filter.
What is needed is an air filter for a vehicle, which not only can provide sufficient filtered air into an engine, but also can extend a useful or valid life of the filter without deteriorating a functionality of the filter even though a car having the engine to which the filter is attached is running on unpaved dusty roads.